Man tried to escape from police out of window
A MAN attempted to escape through an upstairs bathroom window when police arrived at a property and discovered a cannabis factory.
Tahir Roci had been staying at the address in Caswell Street, Llanelli, when police arrived on the morning of April 23 and needed to force entry as the property had been barricaded.
Once inside, officers discovered equipment for growing cannabis, and around 215 cannabis plants, as well as a 52g bag of herbal cannabis. The electricity meter had also been bypassed.
“The property had been converted to facilitate the growth of cannabis plants,” prosecutor Georgina Buckley told a sentencing hearing at Swansea Civic Centre on Friday.
“Five rooms had been sealed and contained sophisticated hydroponic equipment and plants at different stages of growth.
“The front of the property had a single room with a bed, television and personal effects, and it is thought to be where the defendant was living.
“The defendant was in the first-floor bathroom trying to escape through a window.”
The court was told the estimated street value of the plants recovered was between £64,000 and £100,000, while the herbal cannabis was valued at £552.
Roci was also found to be in possession of a quantity of cash.
Mitigating, Tom Scapens told the court Roci, who was addressed through an interpreter, is an Albanian national who had arrived in the UK last August and was seeking asylum, and was of previous good character.
“He says a Romanian or Bulgarian offered him this work and he took it,” Mr Scapens said.
“He knows it is illegal but was not aware how serious it was.
“He has no family here; his family are in Albania and know he is in prison.
“He intends to pursue his asylum application but that is a matter for other authorities.”
Roci, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to a single charge of the pro
duction of cannabis.
Sentencing, Judge Niclas Parry said: “Within eight months of entering this country illegally you were committing crime.
“You were a very important cog in a very big wheel. The drugs valued at between £60,000 and £100,000 are clearly for commercial purposes.
“You were minding a very sophisticated set-up.
“My recommendation you are deported after your sentence can only be a recommendation because that is a matter for other authorities, but this case will obviously be noted.”
Roci was sentenced to 16 months, and told he would serve half of that in custody.